Two Brothers, One Crew, and the Sky
by SentimentalBoy18
Summary: AU: Sam and Dean are two homeless kids from the planet Persephone. They had finally "made" enough money to get off the planet and go someplace new. With adventure in mind, they stumble upon the ship Serenity. They planned to get off on a new planet, but like they say "There's no place I can be, since I found Serenity." Now, if the crew'll have them, they plan to keep flying.
1. A Fine Ship

**I really need to stop starting stories, it's gonna be the death of me. But what's one more, right? I love this idea and I just couldn't get it out of my head. So here we are now. This is an AU so Sam and Dean are in the Firefly time period. Here we go!**

**If I owned Firefly, it would still be going. Because I would make it go. Enough said.**

**If I owned Supernatural, Season 10 would be out right now. Wouldn't that be great?**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Alright, everyone. We are gonna refuel and restock. I want us outta here in three hours tops." Malcolm Reynolds addressed his crew. They were all standing in the dining area, awaiting their jobs. The crew of Serenity had just landed on the planet Persephone to get supplies and possibly a passenger or two. If said passengers could pay, that is.

"Kaylee, I want you to try and pick up passengers. You know what to do. If they can't pay, toss 'em out. Jayne, Zoe, I want you two to come with me. We need a job and we gotta try and find one here. Wash, Simon, Book, and Inara go get us any supplies we need. Wash you have the money?" Wash nodded and Malcolm continued, "Good. Now everyone come on back when you're done." Everyone nodded and left the room, except Jayne and Zoe.

"Get ready to go. And, Jayne, bring a gun." Malcolm said. Jayne gave a somewhat sinister smile, showing that, once again, you should never tell Jayne to bring a gun.

"Nothing too big! Something small!" Mal added as an afterthought as Jayne headed to fetch on from his room.

"Yeah, yeah." Was Jayne's response.

* * *

Dean had to be very particular in his choice. Whatever ship he chose would be the one he would be stuck on for a while. Not that he had the time to be careful in his choice. They had to get out while they still could, what with the law on their tails.

They only stole what they needed to survive. He and his brother only stole from the people who could to afford to lose a little. But, in their eyes, a little was still something and they couldn't have that. There was nothing they could spare for a seventeen year old boy and his thirteen year old brother. So they took what they needed. And after years of stealing, they finally got enough money to make it off the planet. To go explore new places.

As Dean walked through the docks, he looked at each ship, trying to find one that suited him and his brother. Every time someone who may know his face walked by, he ducked his head and looked at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the 'verse.

At the end of the row of ships was a Firefly. She looked beat up but well-maintained. There was a girl with brown hair sitting in a lawn chair out front. She was looking around the docks.

Dean wandered over, looking at the ship.

"Hello!" the girl said. She looked up at him. He was quite tall and muscular. He wore a brown leather jacket, a tight black t-shirt, and heavy black boots. There was a gun strapped to one hip and a knife on the other. His hair was a dark blonde and his eyes a bright green. He looked at her with a straight face that wasn't exactly threatening, but it showed no kindness.

"Hi." he responded, "Quite a nice ship you've got here."

"Well thanks! She runs quite nicely!" responded the girl.

"I can tell."

"Well, I'm Kaylee! I'm the mechanic on Serenity here."

"The name's Dean."

"Well, Dean, are you lookin' for a ride out of here?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I am. Was lookin' for a nice ship too."

"Well, there's not a nicer ship in the 'verse. Serenity's the best."

"I can tell. You aren't takin' on passengers, perhaps?" Dean was pleased at the way conversation was going.

"Why yes we are! Are you interested in comin' aboard?"

"Depends, how much would it cost for two?"

"Two? You bringin' someone along?" she seemed excited by the thought of another new person.

"Yeah, I've got a little brother. He'd be comin' along too."

"Well, two people... I'd say we could make it 80 platinum."

"Perfect. I have a few things I need to do before leaving. When should I come back around?" Dean said happily.

"We're leavin' in an hour. Feel free to come back any time."

"Thank you, Kaylee." Dean told her. She nodded and waved as Dean headed off towards where he had hidden Sam.

* * *

**What do you think?**


	2. Welcome Aboard

Chapter 2

Dean had been walking for fifteen minutes when he came up to an abandoned house towards the edge of town. He knocked three times on the door. It opened just a little and he saw someone look through the crack in the door. It opened all the way and he saw a thirteen year old boy with long, dark blonde hair. He had green eyes and was shorter than Dean.

"Hey Sammy. How are you doin'?" Dean asked him while walking inside.

"Fine. Did you find us a ride, Dean?" Sam responded, looking up at his big brother.

"Yeah, and it leaves in an hour, so let's hit the road." Dean said, already starting to gather what very few belongings they had. Sam got to work, grabbing things and throwing it into the bag they had.

"Ready to go?" Dean asked his little brother.

Sam looked around and nodded. The two brothers walked out of the house and down the path back towards town. They were walking in silence until Sam coughed violently.

"Hey, Sammy, you ok?" Dean asked gently, kneeling down in front of his brother. Sam nodded through his coughing fit. They waited until Sam was fine before walking on.

"I think you may be getting a cold." Dean said.

"Nah, I'm fine." Sam replied.

Dean rolled his eyes at Sam's act. He usually tried to hide the fact that he was sick until he felt really bad. He didn't think Dean needed the pressure of taking care of him more than he already did. But, the way that Dean saw it, he fed, clothed, and raised Sam, so taking care of a little cold wasn't gonna make much of a difference. But he let Sam go on, he would either admit his sickness when he felt worse or Dean would point it out himself.

* * *

When Mal, Jayne, and Zoe walked over to Serenity, Kaylee was folding up her chair and bringing it into the ship. Kaylee saw them and waved with a smile on her face. Malcolm waved back and came over to her. "How's it going?"

"Everything's shiny, Captain! We have two passengers." Kaylee responded happily.

"Are they payin'?" Mal asked.

"Of course they are!"

"Good. When are they comin' along? We have to get going, we have a job."

"They should be here any minute."

"Alright. Has everyone came back yet?"

"Everyone except Wash. He should be comin- Oh there he is!" Kaylee said, pointing to Wash, who was walking back towards Serenity.

"Ok, you all go inside and get ready to leave. I'll wait for our passengers out here." Mal said to Zoe, Jayne, and Kaylee. The three headed inside and Mal looked around.

* * *

Five minutes later, Sam and Dean were walking towards Serenity.

"That the ship?" Sam whispered to his brother.

"Yeah." Dean responded.

Dean saw a man out front, wearing a brown coat and a red shirt. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He was a few inches taller than him. Dean guessed he was the captain of Serenity by the way he held himself. He stood up straight.

The two brothers walked up to the ship. Dean put his arm around his brother's shoulders, part comfort, part protection.

"Are you the passengers we're taking on?" Mal asked, kind of surprised that they looked so young.

"Yes sir. I'm Dean and this is my brother, Sam." Dean said.

"Well, didn't expect you to be so young."

Dean shrugged.

"Well, do you have the price that you and Kaylee agreed on?"

"Yes, I do." Malcolm held out his hand. Dean took his arm off of his brother's shoulder and reached into his pocket, pulling out the money. He put it into Malcolm's hand and then put his arm back around his brother's shoulders.

"Welcome aboard. My name's Malcolm." Mal said, stepping aside to let the two brothers onto the ship.


	3. New Job

Chapter 3

Sam and Dean looked around the ship, taking in everything.

"Follow me." Mal said. The boys followed Malcolm into the kitchen.

"Nice place you've got here." Dean commented.

"Thank you." Mal answered, "This is the kitchen. You can get any food you want here. The next meal is in two hours. You are allowed anywhere on the ship, except the bridge and the hold." Sam and Dean both nodded.

Simon walked into the room. He looked at the two new kids in the room, "New recruits?"  
"Passengers, actually." Malcolm corrected.

"Well, hello. I'm Simon." He held out his hand to Dean.

"The name's Dean." Dean responded, shaking his hand, "And this is Sam."

"Nice to meet you." Simon said genuinely.

"Simon, take them to their rooms. You boys get settled in. We're off in ten." Mal told them. He then strolled off towards the bridge of the ship.

"This way." Simon led them to two empty rooms. They were both pretty small and bare, each containing a bed with drab white sheets.

"Thanks, but we'll only need one room." Dean looked over to Simon, who nodded and lead them further down the hallway, passing doors to other rooms as they went. The group stopped in the doorway of a larger room, this one containing two beds and a small tray table that folded up against the wall.

"Well, if there's anything you two need, feel free to ask. I'm just down the hall." Simon walked off towards his room.

When he reached his room, he saw River sitting on the bed. "Who are they?" she asked.

"Just some new passengers." Simon told her, "They're names are Sam and Dean."

As Dean walked into their new room, Sam coughed again, sounding much more violent this time. Dean sat down on his brother's bed. He rubbed his brother's back.

"I'm fine." Sam told him before Dean could ask.

"No, you're not. You're getting sick."

"I'm ok." Sam said with a yawn.

"Get some sleep. I'll come get you when it's time to eat, ok?"

Sam nodded and laid down on the bed. Dean got up and threw their bag onto the other bed. He then slid open the door and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"So what's the job, Captain?" Zoe asked. They were standing on the bridge with Wash at the wheel.

"We are gonna head to Ariel, we've got a heist there." Malcolm answered.

"What are we after?" Wash spoke up.

"Some rich folk are havin' a party. Turns out they've got some gold that our client wants. Rivalin' businesses and all that." Mal explained.

"Isn't it always?" Zoe asked with a smile.

Little did they know, Dean was just outside the bridge, listening to every word.

Thieves, eh? Should have known. Not that it was really that big of a problem. They were thieves too. Had been all their lives, him and Sam. But Dean still wanted to learn more. He had a right, after all, if he's going to be traveling with these people. He would sneak into the hold at night, he decided, see what he could find.

"Well, I'm going to go check on Kaylee." Malcolm said.

Dean quickly ran off, back towards his room before the captain could catch him spying.


	4. Dinner and Spying

Chapter 4

Sam and Dean walked into the kitchen to see the rest of the crew sitting around the table. The two sat down in the only spots left, two chairs right next to each other. They didn't say a word, slightly intimidated by the group of people they didn't know.

"Sam, Dean, this is the rest of the crew. There's Jayne, Zoe, Wash, Inara, Sheppard Book, and River. You've already met Simon, Kaylee, and myself." Malcolm said, pointing to the correct person as he said their name. Dean nodded his greeting and waved a little. Sam did the same. The two remained silent as they ate the food they put onto their plates. Looking at the boys, Kaylee noticed they were a bit shy. Or maybe they were cautious? It was hard to tell. Also, she could see that both boys were pretty skinny. Dean was skinnier than Sam and also seemed to be eating more.

"So, boys, what's your story?" Wash asked.

"Hm?" Dean asked with his mouth full. He swallowed and continued, "Oh, you know, grew up on the planet, never knew anything different. Me and Sam decided to get out of there." He looked down at his plate, eating, as he spoke.

"Did you have a job back on Persephone?" Malcolm questioned.

"No. No one would take me. Something about being a street kid or some go shi like that."

"Street kids, eh?" Jayne spoke up, "Where'd you get the cash to come on then?"

Dean finally looked up from his plate and his bright green eyes met Jayne's dark blue ones. "Took what we needed to survive." Dean replied, sounding defensive.

"Hey, no judgment here." Zoe told him.

Dean nodded and started eating once again. The usual dinner conversation started. Sam and Kaylee started talking and trading stories. Dean and Malcolm started a conversation of their own. Soon, the kitchen was filled with the sound of laughter.

* * *

Later that night, Dean got out of his bed and opened the door quietly, as to not wake Sam. Not that it worked. As Dean had one foot out the door, Dean heard Sam's tired voice ask, "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere. Go back to sleep." Dean replied.

"Dean, don't you lie to me. I wanna come along."

"I want to learn more about the people here."

"I'm coming." Sam got out from under the covers and stood up.

"Ok, just be quiet. We don't want them to know anythin'."

Sam nodded and the two walked quietly down the hallway, Sam following Dean's lead.

"Where are we going?" Sam whispered so quietly, Dean almost didn't hear it.

"The hold." Dean whispered back.

The two remained silent until they reached the hold. Dean pointed to one end and Sam nodded. He went over and started searching, looking for anything that could be important. Dean did the same on the other side. Sam knelt down and looked at the floor. He saw the tracks on the floor.

"Dean," Sam said quietly. Dean turned to look at him with a questioning expression, "It looks like they move a lot of stuff in and outta here. There are tracks on the floor. They seem to be headin' this way..." Sam trailed off, following the tracks. Dean followed his little brother over to the wall.

"They end right here." Sam told Dean. Dean lightly hit the wall. It made a hollow thud.

"Help me get this off." Dean said to Sam. Together, the two pulled aside the panel on the wall to see a nook big enough to hide several crates. They looked inside to find it empty.

"Smuggling?" Sam asked quietly.

"Maybe." said a voice from behind. Then came the sound of a gun being pulled from its holster. Sam and Dean turned slowly to see Jayne pointing a gun at Sam's head. Dean gave him the death glare and the two stood up slowly.

"What do we have here?" Jayne asked, a smug smile on his face.

Dean immediately pulled his gun and pointed it at Jayne.

"Dean..." Sam trailed off. Dean looked to the side to see Malcolm standing on the stairs, pointing a gun at Dean.

"Good morning." Dean said with a smirk.

"Good morning indeed. I walk into the hold to find the kids I told to keep out snooping around. I just-I feel so betrayed." Malcolm replied with a tone of mock hurt.  
"I'm sure you do." Dean responded sarcastically, readying his gun if Jayne decided to make a move on Sam.

"Let's talk." Jayne spoke up, gun still pointed at Sam's head.


	5. Stand-Off

**I am so incredibly sorry about how long it has been since I've updated this story. I was working on so many other stories that I just didn't have time to update. I love this story and I'm annoyed at myself that it took so long. I apologize for leaving you on a cliffhanger. I will update as much as I possibly can on this story. I won't let something like that happen again. Sorry.**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing.**

xxx

Chapter 5

"Get that gun away from my brother's head." Dean growled dangerously at Jayne, a look of pure rage in his eyes.

"Make me." Jayne replied, a confident grin on his face, "Good luck doin' it before your little bro's brains are all over the wall."

Dean glared at Jayne, knowing he couldn't make a move with two guns on them.

"Alright, Jayne, that's enough. Don't need to rile the kid up." Mal said, walking down the stairs, the clanking noise of his boots echoing throughout the hold.

"Aww... But it was just gettin' fun." Jayne whined, not taking his eyes off of the boys.

"Well, boys, I'm wonderin' what exactly you're doin' down here. Shouldn't you be up in your bed, snuggled up like little sleepin' princes." Malcolm came over to stand next to Jayne, gun at his side.

Dean let out a noise that was something between a laugh and a snort, then replied, "And shouldn't you be doin' the same."

"Well, when I hear the pitter-patter of my passengers in the dead of night, I get curious. So I went to get Jayne and we decided to check it out. And what do we find? You boys snoopin' around our hold."

"We're curious people. Wouldn't you want to know who you were ridin' with, if you were us?" Dean asked, taking the opportunity to carefully position Sam behind him. Sam, who was still nervous for his big brother but grateful to be not be a hostage anymore, stayed silent. He knew that in situations like this it was best to let Dean handle it. He also knew that Dean wanted to handle the situation and that he would take care of Sam, regardless of what happened.

Jayne pointed his gun at Dean's head, having lost the ability to aim at the younger brother. "Well, that doesn't seem to be a real solid answer when you're sneakin' 'round our ship at night." He paused, then asked, "You boys Alliance spies?"

"What? No!" Dean exclaimed, the idea seeming down-right insane to him.

"How do we know you're tellin' the truth?" Mal questioned them. When he first let the kid onto the ship, he didn't think that they were spies. But it wouldn't be the first time that a foe snuck onto Serenity disguised as a friend. People looking around the cargo hold in the middle of the night wasn't common, so there was one of two answers. The kids were spies, or this Dean kid was intelligent and was trying to find out exactly who he was riding with. He couldn't fault the kid when it came to the latter, but this didn't seem to be the best way to do it.

"We're not lyin', Captain." Dean told him. Not that he believed the kid. He seemed to be the type of guy that could lie with ease. Then, he thought of something.

"Hey Sam." Mal decided to put his idea into action. He tapped the top of Jayne's gun, signaling for him to stand down. Jayne, sighing and rolling his eyes, brought his gun down to his side.

Dean stood between Sam and the crew members. "Don't talk to him."

Sam, on the other hand, looked past Dean and at the captain. "Y-yes...?"

Mal smiled a little, knowing that this might work. "You seem like a pretty honest kid. Will you tell me the truth?"

Sam nodded, still looking extremely nervous. Dean, on the other hand, was extremely angry. "Sam, don't talk to them." Dean glared at Malcolm and Jayne.

"Tell me the truth, Sam." Mal said, ignoring Dean's attempts to shake them, "Are you spies? Or were you two just curious?"

"C-curious..." Sam answered.

"Well, that settles it then." Mal replied, holstering his gun.

xxx

**Happy Valentine's Day!**


	6. A Fine Idea

**I'M HERE! I am here in a timely fashion!**

xxx

Chapter 6

"That settles what?" Dean asked cautiously. He still had his gun pointed at Jayne, but he looked at Malcolm when he spoke.

"You ain't spies." Mal replied, sound very sure of himself.

"Oh so you'll believe him?"

"Yes. You seem like you can lie. But your little brother, he don't know how to. At least not well. He says you were just curious, so I believe him."

Dean holstered his gun. "Ok, then. Well, I'm sure this isn't used for a game of hide-'n'-seek. Mind tellin' me what it is you do on this ship?" Dean gestured to the place where they had slid away a part of the wall to reveal the place where the crew hid crates that they didn't want the law getting their hands on.

"Follow me." Mal told them and headed towards the kitchen.

They all sat down at the table. Dean waited expectantly for his explanation.

"You know what this world is like. You work for what you need, nothing's given to you." Mal said. Dean nodded and Malcolm continued, "Well, we do that. We work for what we get. And sometimes it's not very... legal."

Dean nodded thoughtfully. "But you stay away from the Alliance?"

"Yes. They don't exactly agree with what we do." Mal confirmed.

"Good to know." Dean paused, then said, "So that's why your headed to Ariel? A theft?"

"This gorram kid was listening to us?!" Jayne exploded, looking extremely pissed off.

"He's smart, I'll give him that." Mal replied.

"Just wanted to know what I signed on for. You never know a person when they're talkin' to you. Could just all be an act. That's why I decided that I should listen in." Dean explained.

"Yes, we're headed to Ariel to rob some fancy party. Should be pretty easy. You want us to drop you off there?"

Dean shook his head, "We wouldn't survive there. Not a chance. Somewhere else. Can we stick around until then?"

"Sure. You and your brother can stay here. Long as you paid." Mal said.

"Good. Now if you don't mind, we should probably get back to sleep." With that, Dean got up signaling for Sam to do the same. They both walked back towards their room.

Jayne rolled his eyes and stomped back towards his own room. Mal stayed in the kitchen, thinking.

Dean was a smart kid. He obviously knew the importance of learning who you're traveling with. And he was very protective of his little brother. For some reason, Mal felt that he needed to keep the boys around. They could both be useful with jobs and they were smart. They could be a part of the crew.

Smiling slightly, Malcolm headed off to his own room, deciding to sleep on the idea.


	7. Sickness

**Sorry I didn't update last week. I just really didn't feel like writing this story at that moment. But I'm back!**

xxx

Chapter 7 

Dean woke up to the sound of Sam's hacking coughs. He sat up quickly and turned to Sam. He walked over and rubbed soft circles on his brother's back.

"It's alright... It's ok..." he comforted, whispering to him, his voice calming.

After a few minutes, Sam stopped coughing and gasped for air. After he had calmed down, he leaned against Dean's chest, tired and uncomfortable. Dean put his arm around Sam's shoulders, gently rubbing his arm.

"Are you gonna admit you're sick now?" Dean asked, a small, sad smile on his face.

Sam laughed weakly and coughed a little again. Dean looked down at his brother, worried that he was going to have another attack. Sam shook his head slightly, telling his brother that he was fine.

"We need to get you checked out, Sam." Dean told him.

"No... It's ok..." Sam argued, his throat feeling rough and every breath hurting.

"No, it's not." Dean's tone meant business. He wasn't going to accept that for an answer. "Can you stand?"

Sam nodded and stood up reluctantly. Dean got up as well, keeping his arm around Sam to steady him. They headed out of their room and down the hall to Simon's room. Dean knocked lightly on the door, hoping he wasn't waking anybody.

After a few seconds, the door opened and Simon stood in the doorway. He saw Sam and Dean a smiled a little. "Yes?"

"Is this a bad time?" Dean asked tentatively.

"No, just fine. Need any help?" Simon replied.

"Well, you see, Sammy here is getting sick... And I heard you're the doctor here. Could you help?" Dean got straight to the point, gesturing with his head towards Sam, who smiled timidly.

"Of course, come with me." He turned to look back into the room and said, "River, I'll be back in a little bit, ok?"

"Ok." River responded.

Simon left his room and closed the door behind him. He then took the lead and took the group down to the infirmary.

"Sam, could you take a seat up here?" Simon patted the table and Sam nodded. He climbed up onto the table. He swung his legs a little as they hung over the table, causing Dean to smile a little. Sam coughed once again and Simon nodded his head, thinking. He put the back of his hand to Sam's forehead gently. Then he went to a counter and picked up a small device that Dean then recognized as a thermometer.

After getting the results he needed from that, Simon put that back on the counter and reached into a cabinet. He pulled out a stethoscope and moved back over to Sam. Dean watched carefully as Simon used it to listen to Sam's breathing. Dean fidgeted around a little, wishing that he could get Sam fixed up quickly.

Simon put back the stethoscope and moved over to the counter and opened a drawer, looking through it. He pulled out a bottle of pills, read the side, then put it back. He moved to another drawer and grabbed another bottle and walked back over to Sam and Dean.

"Take one of these pills once a day for a week. You should be better after that." Simon instructed.

"Thanks." Dean said, taking the bottle from Simon and smiling a little.

"No problem."  
Sam got down off of the table and went to Dean's side. Dean put his arm around his shoulder and the two walked out together.

Simon watched them as they left and then closed the drawer he had left open. He saw himself in the oldest brother. He understood what it was like to be the oldest sibling and he knew it could be hard, especially when the person you were protecting was upset, sick, or otherwise troubled. And lately, he knew all too well what that was like.

He sighed and headed back towards his own room and his own sister.


	8. Planning the Job

**Sorry I missed a bit of time! I was sick and I was lazy. Oops. But I'm here now!**

xxx

Chapter 8

The next few days were quiet. Sam started to get better, which Dean was very happy about. He didn't like watching his little brother suffer like he had before. But Simon had done a great job at finding the right medicine for Sam and he was back to acting like his old self in no time. Everyone enjoyed having the brothers on board. They were interesting people and were entertaining to be around. The brothers felt the same about Serenity's crew. They always had great stories to tell, all coming from different backgrounds and places.

They arrived on Ariel and the crew was ready to get to work. They had all gathered in the kitchen, ready for their instructions. They all knew that Mal would each give them a part to play in this job. They would need to sneak into the party, get to the target, and get out, all without being caught. It was an all hands on deck situation.

"Alright, we've hit a little snag in the plan here, folks." Mal sighed once the crew had gathered. Wash, Kaylee, Zoe, Simon, and Jayne all looked at him in confusion.

"What kind of snag?" Zoe asked tentatively.

"Well, I'll get to that. Let's start at the beginning. Zoe, Jayne, I'm going to need you two to incapacitate all the guard that'll be stationed around the building. Jayne will take the outside and Zoe will take the inside. Wash and Kaylee, you're going to take out the security systems. Be careful, we don't want them to know we're stealin' from them. Simon, I want you to be on the inside with Zoe. Make sure she can get to all the guards, create a distraction if need be. I'll be in there to keep people away from where we wanna go. Herd them, if you will." Malcolm explained. The entire crew nodded thoughtfully, taking note of their specific jobs.

"What's the problem, then?" Wash asked.

"We need someone to go and get the goods. Zoe will need to deal with the guards, and that'll be a full time job. And no offence, doctor, but I don't think you will be able to stroll out of there with the goods all nonchalant like."

"None taken." Simon assured the captain. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do that. He wasn't exactly a cool customer when it came to thievery. More than once Mal had to save him when he was flailing around like a fish out of water. Which was the reason he usually didn't participate in jobs.

"I can do it." a voice from behind them said. Malcolm looked to see Dean standing in the doorway, Sam behind him. The whole crew turned around, looking surprised.

"You can do it?" Mal asked.

"Yes. Didn't you hear me?" Dean joked, walking into the room and taking a seat at the table. Sam followed suit, sitting next to his big brother.

"I heard you, I'm just not sure if I believe you." Mal told him. He didn't think the kid could handle such a big job. Sure, he was responsible and a good guy, but it didn't seem like he was ready for this job. In fact, he was just supposed to be a passenger, not a member of their latest job.

"Why not? Stealin' stuff ain't exactly off my radar. The only reason you see myself and Sammy sittin' here is my skills." Dean argued his case. Sam looked around the table, trying to gauge the expressions of the crew to see how they felt.

"I'm not sure, kid. I'll have to think about it." Mal decided. Dean's jaw clenched angrily at being called a kid.

"Ok, folks. Head back to your jobs, we'll be on the job soon." Mal instructed. Everyone nodded and got up, Dean did so somewhat reluctantly. Sam followed his brother as they headed back to their room.


	9. Decisions Must Be Made

**Sorry about missing a week. I just wasn't feeling it. But now I am!**

xxx

Chapter 9

Mal sighed as his feet hit the floor of his room. He kicked off his boots, not really caring where they landed. He dropped down onto his bed, tired from the long day. The upcoming job was sure to be interesting, especially if he let Dean help.

Mal really didn't want the kids to help, though. He barely knew who they were or what they were capable of. Sure, this Dean guy may be good at pick-pocketing, but this kind of theft? Dean seemed very sure of himself. Not to mention that Malcolm didn't really trust Dean. Dean had been on this ship for almost a week and so far they knew almost nothing about him. And they were only supposed to be passengers. Passengers weren't supposed to even know about jobs, let alone assist with them.

Mal also wondered if this was going to turn into a similar situation to Simon and River's. If they helped on this job, would they stick around with them for a while. Malcolm realized he didn't really mind if they did. The kids had kind of grown on him. They also seemed to have interesting pasts.

Mal sighed, knowing he didn't really have a choice in whether or not he let Dean help. They needed someone to get the loot, and he guessed it would have to be Dean. He seemed like he could get the job done, especially if he had a gun on him to protect himself if need be. But just because he was capable, didn't mean he was trustworthy.

**xxx**

Dean and Sam were sitting in their room, debating which one was a better shot. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. On instinct, Dean stood up first and began to walk slowly towards the door. He opened it to reveal Malcolm, looking at him expressionlessly.

"Hey, Captain." Dean said, leaning against the doorframe, "What can I do for you?"

"You want in on the job?" Mal asked, knowing the answer well.

"Yeah. You gonna let me in?"

"You see, I don't know if I can trust you." Mal told him honestly.

Dean nodded, understanding. He wasn't at all surprised that this came up. Malcolm Reynolds didn't seem the kind of guy that was quick to trusting people. Dean thought for a minute, then said, "Is my brother a guest on this ship?"

"Yes."

"Then you can trust me." Dean stated simply.

Mal looked at him for a second and realized that what Dean had said was true. Dean wouldn't fool around on this job because his brother was on Serenity. If he betrayed them, he would be risking Sam's wellbeing. And Mal knew enough about Dean to know that he would never, ever do that. Not if he didn't have to.

"That settles it then." Mal nodded, backing up a little, "Job's going down tomorrow. Be ready."

"I will. Night, Captain." Dean replied as he closed the door to their room.

Mal really hoped he knew what he was getting himself into with these two.


	10. Adventure Incoming

**I know I'm late. Sorry my friends. I wasn't really feelin' this story before. But I'm here now! Never fear!**

xxx

Chapter 10

Dean woke up slowly the next day, light trying to flow in through his eyelids. He never felt that he got enough sleep. There was always something to do, get food, watch Sam, earn cash. Dean never felt there were enough hours in the day to give him time to sleep or rest.

"Dean." Sam said. Dean tried to look as though he was sleeping, keeping his breathing even and his body calm. He was hoping to get a few minutes to himself, just him and his thoughts. But Sam was persistent, as always, "Dean. Dean, there's a job today. Dean."

The older Winchester could tell that his little brother was sitting on his bed next to him. Dean playfully shoved Sam off the bed. "Shut up. I'm sleeping."

"No you're not." Sam giggled. Dean opened his eyes a little to see Sam standing next to his head, grinning goofily at him. Dean couldn't help but smile at his brother.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not asleep, but I want to be. So shush." Dean teased a little, turning over in bed.

"You can't go back to sleep. You have to get ready to go." Sam told him.

With a sigh, Dean rolled out of bed, knowing his little brother was right. Dean was already dressed. Being a kid from the street didn't give him much of a choice in wardrobe. He grabbed his gun from the floor and holstered it. Running a hand through his hair, he looked around to make sure he wasn't missing anything.

"Ready?" Dean asked Sam, standing near the door. Sam nodded and fell into step beside his big brother as they walked down the hallway towards the kitchen.

When they got there, they saw Wash and Zoe sitting at the table, talking to one another. Sam sat down at the table and Dean went to get them both some food.

"Hey Sam." Wash greeted, his usual happy expression on his face.

"Hello." Sam responded politely, smiling a little at him.

"How are you?"

"I'm good. How are you?"

"Good, thanks." Wash seemed a little surprised by Sam's manners, knowing how to hold a good conversation.

"Ready for the job today?" Zoe asked, turning to look at Dean. Dean came over to the table, putting food in front of Sam and then sitting with some in front of him as well.

"Oh yeah. Just glad captain let me help." Dean answered, beginning to eat.

"Well good. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. Jobs can go sideways real quick." she warned.

"I'm aware. It'll go fine. I can think on my feet."

"Well, good."

"Where are the others?" Sam questioned, looking around at the empty chairs that were pushed in around the table.

"Off getting ready for the big day." Wash told them, "We should be heading out in two hours. Or whenever the captain's done with his hair." he joked.

Dean and Sam nodded, laughing a little.

Today was certainly going to be interesting. Whether it would be good or bad, they didn't know. But interesting was certain.


	11. The Job Begins

**I was very busy last weekend, so I apologize for not updating. I'm here now though!**

xxx

Chapter 11

Zoe always appreciated being on a job. She didn't like having to sit idle all the time. Now, usually there was something to take care of on the ship, but when there was nothing for her to do, she got bored easily. Living the adventurous lifestyle she was, she did not enjoy when it slowed down too much.

All of this came to her as she was knocking out or otherwise incapacitating the guards outside of a large, white mansion.

The place was very fancy, somewhere she and the crew would never be allowed normally. The entrance she was in front of was surrounded by pillars of white stone, golden designs adding a splash of color at the top. But, she had kind of ruined the brilliance of the scene with the dead guards laying on the steps. Jayne had gone to another entrance to do the same with the guards there.

They had started their part of the plan when everyone who was invited to the party was inside, completely oblivious to the events occurring outside. The guards would come to switch in a half hour, which meant she would have to clean up her mess quickly and get inside before the guards came to switch posts. She still had work to do inside.

She waved Simon over and they got to work, dragging the bodies to a hidden spot, making the entrance spotless once again.

**xxx**

"So what kind of system are we dealin' with here?" Kaylee asked Wash, looking over his shoulder to get a better view.

"Pretty standard stuff. Shouldn't be hard for us." Wash answered.

Kaylee moved in next to him and started looking at the wires protruding from the control panel Wash had gotten open just moments before. She nodded slightly, concentrating on the system.

"Oh yeah. We've got this." she agreed as the two got to work.

**xxx**

Dean felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins. No matter how many times he had stolen something or gotten into fights before, he always felt it as though it was the first time. There was nothing like it in the 'verse.

He nodded politely and smiled when it was appropriate as he made his way around the ballroom. It was full of women in dresses that took a fortune in time and money to make and men in monkey suits that Dean wished he wasn't wearing one similar to. It just wasn't natural to him. Give him jeans and his leather jacket any day.

He stopped near the buffet table to survey the area. There were so many people and he was keeping such a low profile that no one would be able to remember his face. He saw a glimpse of Simon and Zoe in the crowd before they had slipped away again, presumably to deal with other guards.

The room was huge, the floors made of white marble and the walls of a red-orange marble. The walls were covered in expensive and gaudy tapestries and paintings that made Dean almost wish he hadn't taken the job. Everyone was talking to one another about one topic or another- politics, the arts, their jobs. Dean could barely handle listening to them.

Looking around, he saw Simon and Zoe again. Simon raised two fingers over his head. The signal to tell him that Kaylee and Wash got the security systems down.

Dean made his way through the crowd, heading for the staircase and his part of the job.


	12. A Success

**I had this whole chapter written out, but my computer was like "Screw you!" and deleted the entire thing. Ugh.**

xxx

Chapter 12

Dean walked up the marble stairs towards his destination. When he reached the top of the staircase, he looked to his left and right. There were halls going both ways, doorways lining the walls of each. He had no clue which way held the room he needed to go to. He had not been told where the loot was, only that it was on the second level.

"Psst! Dean!" Dean turned towards the voice coming from behind him to see Simon coming up the stairs, moving hastily while still trying to act normal.

Dean waited until Simon reached the top before speaking to him. "Act like you're supposed to be up here. Stand with purpose." Dean didn't look at Simon when he said this, but instead faced the party below them, looking out over the sea of people. Simon nodded and stood up a little straighter, though he still looked very nervous.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be down there, bein' a distraction for Zoe?" Dean asked.

"She told me to come up here and show you the way to the target." Simon explained.

"Oh, good. Because I had no idea where I was going." Dean confessed, "Let's go."

Simon lead the way down the fancy hallway. Like the rest of the house so far, it had marble floors and paintings on the red walls. While Dean felt uncomfortable and out of place in a place such as this, Simon didn't seem to have a problem, leading the charge, completely focused.

"So you don't feel weird in a place like this?" Dean asked as they rushed down the hall.

"No. I was all set up to be living this life, actually." Simon told him.

"Really? Why aren't you now?"

"My sister needed me." Simon answered simply.

Dean could appreciate that. The thing about Sam (and River, too, Dean assumed) is that they thought they were a burden. Thought they were a nuisance. But it couldn't be farther from the truth, at least for Dean. When their father and mother died, the only thing that kept him alive was Sam. Taking care of his little brother was the only thing that kept him going. When Sam was upset, Dean could focus on taking care of Sam instead of his own sadness. Sam was his everything. Taking care of him was the reason he was still here.

"Right here." Simon stopped their walk down the hall and turned to a door on their right. He grabbed the doorknob and tried to open the door, but the knob just rattled and the door stayed in place.

"I got this." Dean knelt down in front of the door and pulled a set of lock picks out of his pants pocket. Within a few moments, he had the door open and they were staring at the interior of the room.

The room had soft red carpet and white walls covered in small paintings. It was obviously a bedroom with the bed centered on the back wall. The sheets were red and there was a lacy red canopy over the bed, falling perfectly around the bed. To the right of the bed was a window with red velvet curtains drawn. On the left wall was the largest painting, a sort of self portrait. Simon headed over to the picture.

"Behind the painting trick?" Dean asked Simon.

"Behind the painting trick." Simon confirmed before grabbing one of the sides of the painting and pulling it. It swung until Simon rested against the wall, revealing a large safe.

"Can you get this?" Simon inquired.

"Yeah. Go get the escape route ready." Dean said, walking over to the safe to start to try and crack it.

Simon crossed over to the window and opened the curtains. He threw open the window and whispered loudly, "Captain?"

"I'm here kid, got the stuff?" Malcolm's voice came from below. Simon looked down into the darkness and could spot Mal's figure through the darkness. He was squatting in the bushes below, ruining the perfect shrubbery.

"Not yet. Dean's getting it. Prepare the escape route for it." Simon replied.

"Don't tell me what to do." Mal responded. Regardless, Simon heard rustling below, signaling that Malcolm was moving around down there.

Simon ducked his head back into the room and looked over to Dean. He had his ear to the safe's door and he was turning the dial, trying to unlock the safe.

"How is it going?" Simon questioned, coming back over to Dean.

"Almost there." Dean said. After a few moments, there was a click and the safe door opened to reveal the target, gold stacked neatly in the gray interior of the safe.

Dean handed two bars to Simon, who hurried over to the window.

"Ready?" Simon asked.

"Drop 'em down." Mal told Simon. Simon dropped the first bar. Then he heard a shout and more rustling below.

"Don't drop them ON me!" Mal yelled angrily.

"I can't see you!" Simon replied, irritated.

He and Dean spent the next few minutes dropping gold bars down to Mal, who loaded them into cases. After that was done, Mal gave them further directions.

"Get yourselves out of there. Meet us back on Serenity. I'll handle everything else."

"Got it." Dean said.

The two ducked back into the room and Simon closed the door while Dean went to the safe. After the safe was locked again and the painting was back in place, the two fled the room. They hurried back down the hall and down the stairs, rejoining the sea of people. The both of them went towards the exit, ready to get back to Serenity.


	13. Two Choices

Chapter 13

Wash sat in the bridge of Serenity, in front of the controls of the ship. He had recently returned with Kaylee from his part of the job. Everything had gone very well on their end, so he could only sit and hope that things were going well with everyone else.

Wash always worried a little during jobs, especially about Zoe. He knew that his wife could handle herself and would do everything she could to protect herself and the others, but some things were unavoidable. Sometimes things went so wrong that you couldn't get them back.

A voice shook him from his thoughts. It was Mal.

"We're all on! Go!" he shouted from somewhere else on the ship. Wash wasted no time in getting Serenity into the air, getting away from the planet's surface as quickly as he could.

He hoped that no one found out about the stolen goods before they got a safe distance away from the planet. The heist seemed to have gone successfully, as there didn't seem to be any chaos aboard the ship. Wash let out a sigh of relief.

**xxx**

Sam dashed towards the hold of Serenity. He had spent the entirety of the heist worrying about his brother. He knew that Dean would probably be okay, but there was always a chance of something going wrong. And that did not sit well with the youngest Winchester.

With all of Sam's thinking and worrying, he didn't notice Mal in front of him until he had run straight into the captain.

"Watch it, kid." Mal said with no heat behind the words. He helped Sam stand up, who wasted no time in asking the one and only question on his mind.

"Is Dean okay?"

Before Mal could answer, though, a voice spoke up. "Of course he is."

Sam moved to see around the captain and saw his brother standing there, a triumphant smirk on his face. Sam ran over to him and embraced him, squeezing him tight.

"What, did you think anything would stop me from coming back here?" Dean asked, hugging him brother back just as tight.

Sam shook his head, knowing for sure now that everything was okay. Nothing had gone wrong.

"Boy, we need to talk in kitchen. Five minutes." Mal told them before walking off towards the bridge.

**xxx**

After five minutes of talking amongst themselves, Sam and Dean headed into the kitchen to see what Mal wanted. They were a bit surprised to see the entire crew, even Inara and Sheppard Book. This made Dean both curious and nervous. What was the whole crew here for? What was the matter?

"We need to talk." Mal said vaguely.

"About what, dad?" Dean used his sarcastic tone to hide how worried this conversation made him feel. It was a tactic that he used a lot. One he had almost perfected.

"About what we're gonna do with you." Mal elaborated slightly, though it only made the situation feel more ominous.

"What do you mean by that?" Sam spoke up, surprising everyone. Usually his plan in this type of scenario was to stay quiet and let Dean handle it. But now, he was speaking up and asking the important questions.

After recovering from the small shock, Mal said, "Well, you have two choices. We drop you off at the next planet we stop at or you can join our crew. If you decide to leave, we'll drop you on the planet where we'll finish the job. But if you want to stay, it'll be like it was with Simon, River, and Book. You'll stick around with us."

"Why would you let us stay? I thought you didn't trust us."

"You proved yourselves trustworthy on the job." Mal said simply.

Dean nodded, understanding now. He had thought it kind of strange that he had been given such a big job. But now it made sense. He was given the job because they wanted to see what he would do. If he had gotten rid of Simon and taken the money for himself, they would have put him down. But, since he did his job, the crew knew he was worthy of their trust.

Dean stood there for a second, staring at the crew thoughtfully. Then, he asked, "Can Sam and I talk about this?"

"Of course." Mal nodded, telling them they were excused.

The Winchester brothers left the kitchen and walked some ways away from the kitchen. Dean could tell that the whole crew was watching them through the kitchen's open door. Dean knelt down so he could be closer to Sam and they could whisper to one another.

"So, what do you think, Sammy?" Dean asked in a hushed tone, making sure that the crew couldn't hear them talking.

"I think we should stay, Dean." Sam answered, "We were looking for somewhere to go when we got on this ship. I think we found it."

Dean nodded thoughtfully. He knew that the choice was ultimately up to him. Sam would follow his older brother to the end of the universe. So if Dean lead them off this ship, Sam would surely follow. But Dean also wanted to take his brother's opinion into account. After a few more moments, Dean stood up, having made his choice. He lead Sam back into the kitchen.

"Did you make your decision?" Mal inquired.

"We did." Dean responded, standing next to his brother.

"And?"

"We're joinin' up."

Mal smiled, pleased, then said, "Well, boys, welcome to the crew."


End file.
